My reviews of TV shows and movies

Hawaii Five-0

It’s nice to see a successful revamp of a 70’s TV show like Hawaii 5-0, unlike the mercifully short-lived TV incarnation of Charlie’s Angels which was just plain embarrassing. Alex O’Loughlin *swoon* heads the cast as Steve McGarrett and I was delighted to see him after the premature cancellation of Moonlight. The rest of the cast is made up of Danny Williams, a reluctantly transplanted New Jersey cop (Scott Caan), Cylon #8, McGarrett’s naval Girl Friday who does favors like re-purposing military satellites for the team, and a whole bunch of ‘Losties’ who liked filming in Hawaii so much they decided to stay. The M.E. Dr. Max Bergman is played by Masi Oka, (familiar to devotees of Heroes), as an eccentric genius with limited social skills. There’s also a few hilariously disreputable relatives and the occasional cameo by members of the original show’s cast.

The show, in its, er, infinite wisdom, decided to take the opposite approach of Friends (they titled each episode as how the average viewer would remember it) and titles episodes exclusively in Hawaiian, so good luck knowing what it says, pronouncing it or finding the episode you want to watch. This is appropriately categorized as a drama but it certainly has its moments of levity. I love the amusing interaction between McGarrett and Danny, a Mutt and Jeff style adversarial relationship in which both parties snipe at one another but underneath it all really care. There are long story arcs at play, but each episode is largely an encapsulated police procedural and is resolved by the end. Engrossing, richly entertaining and an armchair alternative to actually visiting Hawaii, the show strikes a nice balance between personal and professional storylines, humor and drama. As Max said so eloquently, “In our profession, seeing the worst of humanity every day can take a toll on you.” Mahalo for leavening all the murders and whatnot with enough light-hearted other stuff so you don’t get depressed while watching. Hawaii Five-0 has been renewed for a sixth season, so if you’re interested, catch up by streaming on Netflix or CBS.com. – BETHANY

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